BY DEBRA CASSENS WEISS A federal judge in San Francisco has denied Morrison & Foerster’s request for sanctions in a suit claiming “mommy track” gender bias by the law firm. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of San Francisco rejected the motion during arguments Thursday, the Recorder reports. Morrison & Foerster had claimed that the […]

Click here to listen to the episode Over the years, the quest to obtain gender diversity within big law firms has been a difficult one. Just recently, on April 3rd, 2019, a $200 million lawsuit was filed against Jones Day law firm by six former female associates alleging that they were discriminated against based on […]

The judge acted quickly on this motion. By KATHRYN RUBINO Even if you haven’t been obsessing over the recent spate of gender discrimination lawsuits filed against Biglaw firms like I have, you’ve probably still heard about the $100 million gender discrimination case against Morrison & Foerster. At this point, seven plaintiffs have come forward alleging […]

“Jones Day is proud of its success in promoting a diverse group of outstanding lawyers.” Posted in April 2019, on Jones Day’s website. Here is the entire statement. From the get-go, law firm Jones Day blew crisis management 101. Yes, “Tolton v. Jones Day” has thrown it into a crisis. Unless handled well, that gender […]

By Dorothy Atkins Law360, San Francisco (April 18, 2019, 10:21 PM EDT) — A California judge won’t sanction a former Morrison & Foerster LLP associate suing the firm for pregnancy discrimination despite accepting a severance package purportedly barring legal action, saying her claims aren’t frivolous and it’s “common sense” she didn’t have job alternatives when […]

The firm claimed that Sanford Heisler Sharp brought claims on behalf of a former associate that were “knowingly baseless” since she signed a release upon her termination from the firm. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley found that the plaintiff had sufficiently alleged that she signed the agreement under economic duress. By Ross Todd The […]

The lawsuit against Jones Day is just the tip of the iceberg, new research from ALM Intelligence and the American Bar Association shows. By Erin Hichman Earlier this month, six women sued Jones Day over alleged gender discrimination. The timing of the lawsuits coincides with the end of a yearlong research partnership between the American […]

Here’s one way to address a local-government budget deficit: Roll the dice and sue the pharmaceutical industry. The Arlington County Board has emulated nearly two dozen other Virginia localities in taking to court a large number of opioid manufacturers, distributors and retailers, including some of the biggest names in the health-care industry. The lawsuit seeks […]

Fortinet, a network security company, reached a deal worth $545,000 to settle a whistleblower lawsuit. Lawyers for the whistleblower say that former DOJ lawyer and Akin Gump partner Jeffrey Wertkin tried to sell the company a copy of the complaint while it was still under seal. By Ross Todd Federal prosecutors on Friday announced a […]

By Ryan Lovelace … Law Firm Moves, News, and Notes Sanford Heisler Sharp added Paul Blankenstein from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Sanford Heisler’s opponent in a gender bias suit against Morrison & Foerster. Blankenstein moved to the plaintiffs’ side from defense work after pondering retirement.